Last week, the U.S.
Travel Association (U.S. Travel) hosted its fourth annual Future of Travel
Mobility conference at Washington,
D.C.’s Union Station, gathering a diverse group of travel industry executives,
government officials, business leaders, and public policy experts to discuss
transformative solutions for the travel and transportation sectors.
With a global
spotlight on the United States during an upcoming decade packed with marquee
sporting events, the conference underscored the urgent need for investment in
infrastructure, aviation and security innovation. The emphasis of panels,
presentations and discussions was on ways to create a frictionless travel
experience for inbound visitors to the U.S. And, many of the means to this end
focused on improved and more efficient security to enhance the customer
experience, from AI-driven systems to biometric solutions and advanced
screening technologies
“It’s the
opportunity right in front of us, a decade of sporting events that will make
the U.S. the most sought-after destination,” said Geoff Freeman,
President and CEO of U.S. Travel Association. “It’s more important than
ever for our systems and processes to keep pace with demand and to do that, we
don’t just need ideas, we need urgency and action.”
U.S. Travel also
previewed recommendations from an upcoming report compiled by. its Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel. Commission
members, Jeff Bleich, Former U.S. Ambassador to Australia; Patty
Cogswell, Former Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security
Administration; and Kevin McAleenan, Former Acting Secretary of the
Department of Homeland Security and Commissioner, Customs and Border
Protection, spoke on the gravity of the organization’s mission to modernize how
travelers move while also strengthening national security.
“Growing travel
and enhancing the experience should be a national priority,” Tori Emerson
Barnes, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy, of U.S. Travel
Association, said upon taking to the stage. “We have an opportunity to
become the most visited nation in the world and government partnership—with
President Trump and the new Congress—is essential for realizing the vision to
create the greatest traveler experience worldwide.”
Those in
attendance had the opportunity to explore emerging travel technologies
firsthand at the Future of Travel Mobility Innovation Hub, an interactive
showcase spotlighting boundary-pushing innovations—technologies, products and
services—that are poised to redefine today’s travel experience and shape the
journeys of the future.
The event featured
over two dozen speakers from both the private and public sectors, including:
- Phillip A.
Washington, Chief Executive Officer at Denver International Airport
- Mike Filomena,
Vice President, Global Government & Public Affairs at Enterprise
- Greg Schulze,
Chief Commercial Officer at Expedia
- Amy Hopfinger,
Chief Strategy and Planning Officer for FIFA World Cup 2026
- The Hon. Kevin
McAleenan, Former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security
- The Hon. Patricia
Cogswell, Former Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security
Administratio
- The Hon. Jeff Bleich, Former U.S. Ambassador to Australia
-
Congresswoman Kat
Cammack of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
-
Ralph Cutié,
Director and Chief Executive Officer at the Miami-Dade Aviation
Department
-
Justine Johnson,
Chief Mobility Officer, Office of Future Mobility and Electrification for
the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
-
The Hon. David
Pekoske, Administrator at the Transportation Security Administration
-
Dara Khosrowshahi,
Chief Executive Officer at Uber
-
Linda Jojo, Chief
Customer Officer at United Airlines
-
The Hon. Richard
R. Verma, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources for
the U.S. Department of State
-
David Francis,
Senior Government Affairs Director for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic
Committee
-
Ron Price,
President and Chief Executive Officer at Visit Phoenix
-
Tammy
Blount-Canavan, President and Chief Executive Officer at Visit Seattle
-
David Quinalty,
Head of Federal Policy and Government Affairs at Waymo
“This outstanding
lineup of speakers showcased some of the most brilliant minds in policy and
innovation,” said Freeman. “U.S. Travel was honored to convene this group
to advance our vision of shaping the future of travel and creating a call to
action for the sense of urgency we need to make the U.S. as competitive as we
need to be.”
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